Finding the Fire Within

by C. C. Masters

  Caleb had opened up to me about his childhood. He had always been considered odd in his pack. He immediately stood out from the other children because of how quickly he learned. His mother had indulged a lot of his interests and he had been allowed to spend time at the local library, soaking up all the knowledge he could.

  His pack master had affectionately laughed off most of his oddities when he was a pup, but tension started to rise as he became older. The pack expected their men to become warriors; there was no room in the pack for a strange boy who spent his time with books and electronics.

  Caleb had been given an ultimatum when he graduated high school. Give up the ‘childish nonsense’ that he loved or find another pack. Everyone in his pack was shocked when he chose to leave and joined the Air Force.

  Caleb loved the technology he was able to work with in the Air Force, but felt like an outsider among all of the humans. He had grown up in a pack that had laughed at him for being odd, but did so with affection. It was not easy for him to be a lone wolf, surrounded by humans that he didn’t quite fit in with.

  Austin had recruited Caleb after he left the Air Force and started college. I think Caleb still thought of himself as an outsider sometimes, even within the Seaside pack. I knew better than anyone how difficult it was to shed those beliefs.

  The twins had helped me set up a play area for the puppies to keep them away from Caleb’s expensive tech equipment and electrical cords. The pups were still young enough that they loved to chew, and electrical cords were the perfect size for their little mouths.

  I opened the gate and let the little dogs out. They excitedly jumped up and down at my feet to greet me. I sat down on the floor, so I could play with them and they both enthusiastically licked my face. I rearranged my dress to get more comfortable. Eeyore’s dark coat blended in with my black dress, but Tigger’s white and gold stood out sharply.

  Caleb watched me with a faint smile but came to sit across from me on the floor so he could get in on the fun. “What happened?” He asked inquisitively.

  I explained the encounter with Beardy and the other guys while he listened quietly with a frown. “It sounds like they just want to let Austin know that they are close by and watching.”

  I chewed on my lip nervously. “It seemed more serious than that.”

  Caleb smiled at me and reached for my hands. “Don’t worry, Anna Banana. They are just playing mind games and trying to throw their weight around. They have done it before and they will do it again. They use fear to keep the packs in line and under the council’s thumb.”

  I nodded, unsure but willing to trust Caleb. He had been living in this world a lot longer than I had. But I still had a bad feeling about this.

  “Oh!” I exclaimed, remembering my earlier discussion with the twins before all the drama. “What are lamia? And how do they take people’s memories?”

  Caleb chuckled and picked up a rope toy so he could get Tigger to play tug of war. “Lamia are what the humans call vampires. Don’t ever call them vampires though, they get really pissed off.”

  “Have you ever met one?” I asked curiously.

  Caleb nodded. “Austin has an alliance with one of their council members. We do security for them sometimes.”

  “Huh, so they have a council too.” I murmured as I picked up Eeyore. He snuggled into me and looked at me with adoring eyes as I stroked his silky coat. “How can they take people’s memories though?”

  Caleb shrugged. “How does any type of magic work? I imagine it’s probably a necessary skill for them. How else would they get away with biting humans and not get found out?”

  “What else is there?” I asked Caleb.

  He raised an eyebrow at me. “What else?”

  “Yeah, if there are vampires and werewolves, there has to be other stuff too.”

  Caleb chuckled and tossed the rope for Tigger to happily chase after. “There are witches, they work a lot with the lamia, but I’ve never met one. There are also other shapeshifters who aren’t wolves. There’s a community of jaguars in South America, but none of the other shifters are as common or organized as the wolves.”

  “Why don’t all of the shifters ban together?” I asked with a frown. “It seems like it would be more advantageous to all of us to be a large community.”

  Caleb smiled sadly at me. “Unfortunately, there is a lot of prejudice among shifters. Not all the races get along and most just want to be left alone with their own kind.”

  I sighed. “I get that I’m new to all this, but I would love to connect with all different types of shifters. It doesn’t really make sense that I can only hang out with wolves.”

  He shrugged at me. “It’s been like that for centuries, nothing is going to change overnight.” His eyes lit up. “Although, now that the younger generations are becoming more open to change and technology, maybe we will start to connect a little more.”

  I smiled at him. “Hopefully.” My stomach chose that moment to growl loudly and we both laughed.

  “Lunch time?” Caleb teased me.

  “Yeah, I need to bring the pups outside anyway.” Their ears both perked up at the word ‘outside’ and they watched me carefully. “Do you guys want to go out?” I asked them in my excited voice. They both jumped up and danced happily around my feet as I made my way to the door.

  “I’ll come with you; I haven’t had lunch yet either.” Caleb told me.

  We made our way down to the kitchen and Caleb smelled the air appreciatively. “That smells good, have you been cooking already?”

  I laughed and walked over to the crockpot to check on the meatballs I had left cooking this morning. I opened the lid and the scent of tomatoes and spices drifted out.

  “I’ll make your sandwich if you want to take the pups out.” I offered Caleb.

  “Deal.” He grinned and led the pups out through the door.

  I started making our sandwiches, but pulled out extra rolls. Now that the lid was off the crockpot the scent would be drifting through the house to summon the other guys down.

  I chuckled to myself when I heard heavy footsteps on the stairs only a few minutes later. Austin, Cody, James, and the twins filed into the kitchen, obviously following the scent of food.

  I smiled at them in greeting. “I’m glad you guys are here. I needed some help setting up the table outside for lunch.”

  “On it!” Jason yelled as he headed to the cupboard to grab some plates.

  James frowned, “I don’t know if we really have time-“

  “Oh, c’mon dude. We gotta eat.” Cody interrupted him.

  Cody headed over to me and ran his hand down my spine as I stood at the counter making sandwiches. I tried my best to hide the little shiver of delight that followed his hand. “Anna, has anyone told you yet today how beautiful, and smart, and-“

  “Nice try, Cody.” Austin interrupted. “But everyone knows that the pack-master gets the first sandwich.” He reached over to one of the sandwiches I had made but I smacked his hand.

  His eyes widened in shock, but I just smiled sweetly at him. “The table isn’t set, yet. It’s seventy degrees out in November, so we are eating lunch outside. Together.” I emphasized the last word pointedly.

  He threw his hand back and laughed. “You heard her, gents. Let’s get this table ready.”

  The guys all pitched in and soon we were enjoying lunch outside. I bit into my sandwich happily. The sun was shining and filling me with warmth as I looked around. The two puppies were wrestling out on the green grass and I was surrounded by the guys, all talking and laughing with each other. I even saw James crack a smile a couple times.

  I swallowed my last bite of sandwich and took a gulp of water before I decided now would be a good time to question Austin. “Hey Austin, why do you think the enforcers were harassing us?”

  Austin frowned but looked like he was thinking about his answer. “I don’t know, Anna.” He said slowly. “I want to tell you that you have nothing to worry about, but
the council rarely does anything without reason. If they sent John here, there’s a reason for it, and we are probably not going to like it.”

  “I can tell you that they are not going to get that close to you again.” James growled and gave the twins a dirty look.

  The twins both looked guilty and I felt bad for bringing this up. I had effectively killed the happy mood in the air.

  Suddenly Austin groaned and leaned forward onto the table. “My mother is at the gate. She has a message for me from the council.”

  All of the guys groaned in unison and I looked around in amusement. I was guessing that Austin’s mom was not that popular in the pack. “Do you think this has something to do with before?” I asked curiously. What were the chances that these two incidences were completely coincidental?

  Austin just shrugged. “I’m about to find out.” He stood up with a sigh and looked around the table.

  “I have phone calls to make,” James announced as he stood.

  Caleb stood as well, “Uh, I really should get back to work….” He called for the two puppies as he left and I didn’t argue. I wasn’t sure if Austin’s mother would be okay with two little dogs, so they were probably safer hidden in Caleb’s room. I would go scoop them up after she was gone.

  Austin gave them both James and Caleb a wave of dismissal and they eagerly headed back into the house. Austin looked at Cody next, “I can count on you?”

  “Of course,” Cody said with a sad sigh.

  The twins both had smirks on their faces. “Austin’s mom really likes Cody,” Jason told me with a shit eating grin.

  Cody just rolled his eyes as he stood. “You’re lucky that I am willing to take one for the team.”

  “So… we don’t like Austin’s mom?” I asked the twins after everyone else had left the table.

  “You’ll see when you meet her.” Mason told me cryptically.

  “But for now, we should probably stay out here; just in case she decides to come back to the house for something.” Jason told me.

  Mason nodded in agreement. “She probably won’t even come past the gate, but we should wait to clean up lunch until after the coast is clear.”

  I shrugged. “Fine with me. I have no problem enjoying the rest of the afternoon out here.” I tilted my head back, so I could feel the warm sun on my face.

  “You know, Anna…” I looked over at Jason to see a mischievous look on his face. “I think Mrs. Peterson might have been right.”

  “Right about what?” I asked him suspiciously.

  He stood up and quickly picked me up before I could get away.

  “Jason!” I yelled.

  I heard Mason chuckle. “We need to baptize the sin out of you.” Mason teased me.

  “That’s not how any of that works!” I yelled as I realized Jason was heading towards the pool.

  “It’s worth a try.” Jason told me. He stopped at the edge of the pool and tried to toss me in, but I had a death grip on him. He ended up losing his balance and we both fell into the pool.

  We hit the water with a splash and it wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be. The water was tepid and felt nice under the warm sun.

  I surfaced and laughed as I tried to push all of my wet hair out of my face. My long black dress clung to my body uncomfortably and I struggled to move through the water.

  Jason must have been having similar problems because he tossed his shirt over the side of the pool. I tried not to stare as I watched water droplets slide down his muscular chest. His shoes and jeans quickly followed, and he was left in just his boxers.

  My gaze was torn away from Jason as Mason cannon balled into the pool, splashing us both. I laughed and wiped the water from my eyes. Both of the guys gave me matching grins. The water glistened off of their tanned, muscular bodies as they stood in the pool and I struggled not to stare or drool. I was thinking embarrassing inappropriate thoughts right now.

  Jason tilted his head to the side. “You should take off that dress so we can have a swimming race, Anna.”

  I grinned back at him, pushing aside the nervous feelings. Why not? My bra and panties were black to match my dress and they covered just as much as a bikini would. After a stressful morning, swimming races would be a welcome outlet for my emotions.

  I slid my arms out of the dress and shimmied it down over my hips. Both of the twins looked surprised, but quickly had their grins back in place when I tossed the wet dress up on the side of the pool. I sank down into the water self-consciously, so it covered me up to the neck.

  “Let’s go!” Jason yelled, and dove into the water.

  I should not have been too surprised that the twins were such good swimmers with their broad shoulders. The only times when I came close to finishing with them was after I negotiated a head start for all future races in return for brownies. I enjoyed the way they pushed me to my limits, we had to have swam a couple miles by the time I was tired out.

  I floated in the pool languidly, enjoying the sun and the warm water. The twins were both quietly floating around as well, so they must have gotten tired after the races. My arm bumped into Mason and he tugged me over to him.

  He stood in the water and pulled me close. My heart started to pound as I felt the warmth of his body pressed against mine. I reached my arms around his neck to steady myself and he pulled me in by the hips. I reflexively wrapped my legs around his waist so that now I was clinging to him in the water.

  I tried to relax but his skin was smooth against mine and I could feel his hand resting on my lower back, right above my panties. I got a huge grin on my face when I realized something.

  I wasn’t nervous because I was afraid of him, I was nervous because of the insane amount of attraction I felt for him. I had spent a lot of time being skittish or nervous every time someone had reached out to touch me or stood too close to me. Over the past few weeks I had become accustomed to the way the twins would casually touch me or give me hugs. I had even gotten in the habit of wresting with them and having tickle fights. I just realized now that they made me feel safe. I was comforted by having them close, I knew I had nothing to fear from them.

  Mason grinned back at me. “What are you grinning about?”

  I blushed and looked down. “Nothing.”

  “I should probably give you something to grin about, then.”

  My eyes flicked back up to meet his. I had expected to see mirth but instead I saw a dark heat simmering behind his hazel eyes. He gently cupped the back of my head with one hand and used his thumb to caress the sensitive skin there. Goosebumps rose all over my body and warmth flooded through me as I held his gaze.

  Almost in slow motion, Mason guided my lips to his. I closed my eyes and his lips met mine hesitantly, as if he was expecting me to pull away. I had no intention of letting this kiss end yet, so I threaded my fingers through his silky hair, holding him close to me. He intensified the kiss and I lost myself in the moment.

  I felt Jason come up behind me and put his hands on my waist. I pulled away from Mason, trying to catch my breath while Jason nuzzled my neck.

  I gasped when I felt his teeth graze my neck and Mason pulled my mouth back down to his. My senses were being overwhelmed as Mason used his tongue to caress mine and Jason trailed kisses down my neck to my shoulder. My body was pressed between theirs and the heat was driving me insane. I had never felt lust like this before.

  Mason groaned and started to pull away. I caught his lower lip with my teeth and he pressed his mouth back to mine. Jason ran his hands up and down my body while Mason slid his hands up my thighs. Warmth pooled in between my legs and my body ached for their touch.

  “You’re not ready for this.” Mason murmured, his lips brushing mine.

  I made a noise of complaint as Jason’s body moved away from mine. But instead of moving further away from me he slid his hand down my back, over my bottom, and slipped a finger inside my panties. I gasped in shock and pleasure.

  “She feels ready to me,” Jason said
, pulling his hand out of my panties.

  Mason groaned and squeezed my bottom, throwing his head back as he closed his eyes. I moaned and pressed the length of my body against his. I could feel Jason up against my back, and I could tell that he was enjoying this just as much as I was.

  Jason wound his hand in my hair and gently pulled my head back, so he could claim my mouth with his. I lost myself in all of the sensations of their mouths and hands. Need was burning through me and erasing any sense of self-consciousness that I probably should have been feeling.

  The sound of a door slamming broke into our moment and I heard James yell across the patio, “There had better be a good reason why you’re ignoring me!”

  Jason pulled away from me and cursed. Mason started to pull away from me reluctantly but chuckled when I didn’t immediately release him. “Later, pretty girl.” He murmured to me.

  I sighed in disappointment but let him go and stood in the water. James stalked over to the side of the pool. I couldn’t help but glare at him for interrupting.

  James eyed the wet clothes scattered by the side of the pool where we had thrown them. “I’m not even going to ask.”

  The twins both looked up at him innocently and I saw James look suspicious. The twins were a lot of things, but they were never innocent.

  “I need the two of you to clean up out here. Anna, you might want to go make yourself presentable. Austin’s mother is staying here with us.” James announced with a scowl.

  The twins both cursed. James just looked more irritated than usual. “Now would be nice,” he said gruffly.

  I wanted to give James a difficult time on principle but I swam over to the side of the pool so I could climb out. I really should go make myself presentable; I didn’t want the first time I met Austin’s mom to be like this.

  I was wearing my bra and panties in a pool in the middle of November and making out with two of Austin’s pack mates. That probably wouldn’t go over well with his mother, considering that she was probably under the impression that I was going to be Austin’s mate.